Simplified resolution system

The enemy lurks in shadows
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adambeyoncelowe
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:54 pm

So it's no surprise that many people who enjoy Warhammer 4e still complain about its fiddliness. But it feels like the fiddly bits are mainly there to balance whiff.

It got me thinking about alternative rules systems that would involve minimal changes to written material and minimal conversion, but which would eliminate whiff.

I think I have a fairly simple solution which uses the ten units in a simple roll over mechanic (Bonus + d10 versus target number).

Please feel free to share your thoughts (constructively, if possible). I know this won't be for everyone, and that's fine.

tl;dr: The units mostly get ignored. Use a Skill Bonus or Characteristic Bonus and add 1d10, aiming to get 8 or higher. The units only matter for certain effects (crits, hit location, reversals).

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Dice

For most rolls, the important die is your tens or 'main' die. It is read as 1-10 and is usually added to a Characteristic or Skill Bonus (the tens value of your relevant trait). Thus, a roll of 7 and a Skill of 42 gives 7 + 4 = 11.

The main die also determines the SL on a successful roll (+7 SLs in the example above). It's exactly equal to the number you roll on that die. On a failed roll, the difference between what you rolled and your Bonus is the -SLs (e.g, with Skill 42 and a TN of 8 you roll 2, for a total of 6, which fails with -2SLs).

For dramatic and opposed rolls, you'll also roll a units or 'effects' die. This usually only counts in the case of ties, hit location or randomisation, and Talents that give reverses.

Simple tests

For simple actions, roll 1d10 and add it to the Skill Bonus associated with your task (i.e., the 'tens' digit).

If you score 8 or more, you succeed. If you roll 7 or less, you fail. Criticals do not count.

Dramatic tests

For dramatic actions, roll your main die as usual. Add the main die to your Skill Bonus and compare it to the target number (8).

You also roll a second die: an effects die (or units die). If this matches your main die, you score a critical success or fumble.

If you score 8 or more, you succeed! Your SLs equal the number rolled on the main dice.

For harder rolls, require a higher SL threshold for success.

Alternative rule: Instead of SLs, there are broad ranges of success derived from whether you meet or exceed the target number. Scoring 8 is a minor success (+0 damage, minimum effects or full effects with a small side-effect), a 10 is a significant success (+3 damage, full effects without side-effects) and a 12 is a major success (+6 damage, extra effects at the GM's discretion). A score of 15 or above is an extraordinary success (+9 damage, incredible extra effects) which may have unexpected positive benefits.

Opposed tests

For opposed tests, each roll your main die (tens) and an effects die (units). Then add your Bonus to the main die. You are both aiming for an 8 but the highest total wins.

Criticals and fumbles occur if you roll doubles (the main and effects dice match).

The effects dice settle draws (highest wins). If it's still a draw, then either both parties fail or both parties succeed, as appropriate.

The net SLs of the winner are always calculated the same, using the main dice results (winner's SL minus loser's SL). It is therefore possible to win the roll with 0 or fewer SLs, such as if your roll was lower than your opponent's but your Skill Bonus was significantly higher and caused your total to win. In this case the -SLs are applied to the outcome as flaws (e.g., A and B are both fighting over a trinket, A wins overall but with -2SLs, so the trinket is damaged). In combat -SLs reduce damage.

Combat

Combat is a standard opposed roll, but it's possible to fail and win, provided your roll fails less than your opponent's.

In combat, the effects die is used to give the hit location. After SLs have been calculated, put the effects die in front of the main die to give a location out of 100.

The effects die doesn't usually count towards your SLs unless a Talent says so (i.e., it allows a reverse or allows you to use the 'units' die to calculate SL).

If you have advantage, you may allocate either of the dice as the main or effects die after rolling. Whichever die becomes the main die, the other becomes the effects die.

Two fumbles or two critical successes cancel each other out. One fumble and one critical do not--the loser takes both effects as normal.

Alternative rule: No opposed rolls. Instead use a TN of 4 + Melee/Dodge Bonus and only roll a main die. Any other modifiers can be represented via advantage/disadvantage. You can assume all hits strike the body except on a crit. Critical successes only occur on advantage (because that's the only time you roll an effects die) and fumbles only occur on disadvantage.

Unskilled rolls

If you're rolling unskilled, use the relevant Characteristic Bonus instead of your Skill Bonus. Take disadvantage if it's an Advanced Skill (see below).

Advantage

If you have advantage, roll 2d10 (i.e., a main die and an effects die) and pick whichever die has the higher result as your main die after rolling. In combat, whichever die is used to calculate SL (main die) is reversed to become the 'unit' die for hit location.

In combat, the last person to 'win' an opposed roll or inflict damage has advantage. Advantage is an either/or situation--you either have it or you don't.

In an opposed roll between any two combatants, only one of them can have advantage. If both combatants have advantage, each cancels out the other.

You may also gain advantage if you have a tactical benefit your opponent doesn't or if your target is larger than you. You cannot transfer advantage gained from one opponent to another.

Any Talent that would normally require advantage points to be spent instead requires the character to have advantage and score SLs on their test equal to the advantage cost.

Disadvantage

If you have disadvantage, roll 2d10 and pick the lower result as your main die.

Any person who is outnumbered, on difficult terrain or fighting a smaller opponent has disadvantage. If you attempt to use an unlearned Advanced Skill in a test you also have disadvantage.

In an opposed roll between any two combatants, only one of them can have disdvantage. If both combatants have disadvantage, each cancels out the other.

Advice on modifiers

Award either advantage or disadvantage on the balance of all possible factors, but only when the circumstances warrant it. Make a quick and broad ruling, rather than a slow and detailed one.

If the floor is slippery and your opponent is larger than you, these factors roughly balance each other out. If the floor is slippery and your opponent is smaller than you, take disadvantage.

If the floor is slippery but everyone is on a level playing field, your modifiers and theirs cancel each other out.

If one or more factors aren't enough together, in the GM's eyes, to incur advantage or disadvantage, then ignore them.

Criticals

Simple tests don't usually need criticals but dramatic and opposed rolls do. Criticals only occur on rolls with an effects die. Rolling with advantage makes a fumble impossible (if you would fumble, you simply fail) and rolling with disadvantage likewise makes a critical success impossible (you simply succeed).

Dramatic and opposed rolls with matched dice are criticals or fumbles, depending on whether they succeeded or failed. In combat, a pair of doubles on a successful roll inflicts a critical wound on top of its usual damage.

A Fortune Point can convert any roll of 10 into a critical or any fumble into a mere failure.

Talents

If your Talent would normally give you a reverse or would let you use your units die for your SL, treat it like advantage.

Hit Locations

Reverse the main and effects dice on any dramatic or opposed roll.

Professional and Species Skills

Instead of a bunch of related Lore, Trade and Language Skills, characters receive Professional Skill (Career) and Native Skill (Species) for free.

Professional Skill is equal to your Career Level x 10%. So a Watch Captain (Watchman Level 4) would have the equivalent of Professional Skill (Watchman) 40%.

Native Skill is equal to which stage of life you're in: childhood (5%), adolescence (10%), adult (20%), middle aged (30%), elderly (40%). So an elder elf would have Native Skill (40%).

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Any thoughts?
Last edited by adambeyoncelowe on Tue Apr 07, 2020 2:24 am, edited 3 times in total.
adambeyoncelowe
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:54 pm

I originally wrote 10 for the TN but since WFRP4e gives +20% on average rolls, I figured reducing the basic TN to 8 would be simpler. I'm trying to reduce the need for too many mods.

A Bonus of 2 means you'd have to roll 6+ to succeed (50%), whereas a 3 means you'd have to roll 5+ (60%) and a 4 means you'd roll 4+ (70%). You can't go above 90% success rate because of the auto fail rules, but you could probably rule that Bonuses over 6 give +1SL cumulatively, so when you do succeed, you get a higher SL as a result.

Opposed rolls effectively have a variable modifier to the results, so they're much more dependent on good rolling but Skills still play a role in getting you there. I am toying with dropping most opposed rolls in combat and replacing them with a fixed AC of 6 + Melee, Ranged or Dodge Bonus.
Last edited by adambeyoncelowe on Thu Apr 02, 2020 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zisse
Posts: 127
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 3:14 pm

I am in the situation of playing with D&D 5e rules. I have put a few thoughts into how to play in the old world with D&D rules. Also I thought of converting WFRP stats to D&D.

What you describe is very familiar, except for using a d10 instead of a d20.
adambeyoncelowe
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:54 pm

Zisse wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 8:13 am I am in the situation of playing with D&D 5e rules. I have put a few thoughts into how to play in the old world with D&D rules. Also I thought of converting WFRP stats to D&D.

What you describe is very familiar, except for using a d10 instead of a d20.
Yes, I think there are clear similarities. I did something similar with Fading Suns, which I also loved, but which had a similar whiff problem (though not as bad).
CapnZapp
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:15 am
Location: Norsca

4th edition switches to opposed rolls. That alone fixes a lot of whiff.

It does also introduce the potential problem of lopsided contests. Any character pouring experience into Fellowship, for instance, will quickly realize a score of maybe 75% Fel yields almost supernatural dominance of his hapless fellow citizens (with maybe 35%).

The problem is that the devs doesn't seem to have anticipated this. Instead of introducing rules that mitigate lopsidedness they went full steam ahead and added a crapload of rules that either just make the system galactically fiddly, or outright breaks it (such as Advantage, one of the most broken and dysfunctional core rules I've seen in a professional ttrpg product this decade).
adambeyoncelowe
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:54 pm

CapnZapp wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:33 am 4th edition switches to opposed rolls. That alone fixes a lot of whiff.

It does also introduce the potential problem of lopsided contests. Any character pouring experience into Fellowship, for instance, will quickly realize a score of maybe 75% Fel yields almost supernatural dominance of his hapless fellow citizens (with maybe 35%).

The problem is that the devs doesn't seem to have anticipated this. Instead of introducing rules that mitigate lopsidedness they went full steam ahead and added a crapload of rules that either just make the system galactically fiddly, or outright breaks it (such as Advantage, one of the most broken and dysfunctional core rules I've seen in a professional ttrpg product this decade).
Yeah, there's a lot of fiddliness. That's the main turn-off. It does work but you have to remember a lot. If it were simpler (one modifier at a time would be a good start), that would help.

I'm hoping the GM's screed will help somewhat too.
easl
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 7:04 pm

adambeyoncelowe wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:43 amYeah, there's a lot of fiddliness. That's the main turn-off. It does work but you have to remember a lot. If it were simpler (one modifier at a time would be a good start), that would help.

I'm hoping the GM's screed will help somewhat too.
Ah yes. I always enjoy a well-designed GM screed.
;)
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